Refrigeration appliance and siphon therefor

ABSTRACT

A siphon has a housing with a first component, which has a first connection stub, and a second component, which has a second connection stub. An axis of one of the connection stubs extends through a free space of the other connection stub. In a sectional plane between the first and the second connection stubs, the sectional plane crossing over the axis, the siphon has the following: a first cavity, which adjoins the free space of the first connection stub, a second cavity, which on a first side of the sectional plane is separated from the first cavity by a first wall and on a second side of the sectional plane, the second side being directed towards the second connection stub, adjoins the first cavity, and a third cavity, which adjoins the free space of the second connection stub.

The present invention relates to a compact siphon and a refrigeration appliance in which the siphon is used.

A siphon, which connects a cooled interior of the refrigeration appliance to the environment in order, on the one hand, to enable a pressure equalization with the environment, if, when the door is open, warm air reaching into the interior cools therein after the door is closed, on the other hand, however, to prevent a constant exchange of air with the environment, is known per se and comprises in most cases a U-shaped curved pipe, which extends in a thermal insulation layer or in a machine compartment of the refrigeration appliance and under normal operating conditions is filled with water. Such a pipe is cumbersome and difficult to accommodate in terms of space. Moreover, it is expensive to fix such a long pipe so that it does not form a heat bridge in the thermal insulation layer. Upon attachment in the machine compartment, it can, at best, function to a limited extent as a heat bridge; however, on account of the high temperatures in the machine compartment, there is the risk here of a biofilm growing in the pipe and blocking the same.

EP 1832687 B1 discloses a compact siphon which consists essentially of two components, an outer component, with a trough filled with water during operation, wherein an outer wall of the trough is extended upward in order to form a wide connecting piece, and an inner wall of the trough passes downward into a second, narrower connecting piece, and an inner component, which comprises a base plate and an annular wall projecting from the base plate, said annular wall being introduced through the wide connecting piece into a position in which the annular wall immerses into the trough. The wide input-side connecting piece is unproblematic if the siphon is used as an odor trap at an entry of a sewage pipe. Upon use in a refrigeration appliance, it is inexpedient since it renders the use of a connecting line of a correspondingly large diameter necessary, said connecting line would act as a heat bridge in the thermal insulation layer.

An object of the invention is to create a compact siphon which is suited to use in a refrigeration appliance.

The object is achieved by, in the case of a siphon with a housing having a first and a second connecting piece, in which an axis of one of the connecting pieces extends through a free space of the other connecting piece, and, in a sectional plane between the first and the second connecting pieces, the sectional plane crossing over the axis, the siphon has a first cavity, which adjoins the free space of the first connecting piece, a second cavity, which on a first side, of the sectional plane, which faces the first connecting piece, is separated from the first cavity by a first wall and on a second side, of the sectional plane, which faces the second connecting piece, adjoins the first cavity, and a third cavity, which adjoins the free space of the second connecting piece and which, on the first side of the sectional plane, adjoins the second cavity and, on the second side of the sectional plane, is separated from the second cavity by a second wall, and in which the housing comprises a first and a second component, of which the first comprises at least the first connecting piece and one of the walls and the other comprises the respective other wall, the second component comprises the second connecting piece. As a result, there is no need for one of the pieces to be spacious enough to be able to introduce the respective other component, and lines of a similar cross-section, which is small by comparison with the siphon itself, can be connected to both connecting pieces.

The axes of the two connecting pieces can be in agreement.

Both connecting pieces preferably have identical cross-sections; lines of the same type can then be used on both sides of the siphon; this facilitates manufacture of a household appliance using such a siphon.

In particular, the two pieces can be molded as a mirror-image with respect to one another; enables the use of identical components in molding tools used to manufacture the first and the second component and thus contributes to reducing production costs.

In order, in the interior of the siphon, to be able to accommodate cavities with passage cross-sections adapted to the cross-sections of the connecting pieces, an outer wall of the housing which crosses over the sectional plane should surround a larger cross-section than the connecting pieces.

The outer wall of the housing, the first and the second wall are preferably arranged in a circular and concentric manner with respect to one another. This facilitates the assembly of the first and second component, since attention need not be paid to its rotational orientation in respect of the axis.

To ensure that the two components together can form the outer surface of the siphon, an outer wall of the housing which crosses over the sectional plane is preferably attached as an integral part of the first component, and a distal edge of this outer wall is attached, in particular glued or welded, in a leak tight fashion to the second component.

The second component can in particular have a flange which is oriented at right angles to the axis, to the border of which the distal edge is added.

In order there to enlarge the sealing surface between the components and possibly to enable a provisional cohesion of the components by means of frictional locking before gluing or welding, the border of the flange can be provided with a circumferential recess, into which the distal edge of the outer wall engages.

The first wall is preferably surrounded concentrically by the second wall and is an integral part of the first component. The first wall and the outer wall can therefore form a ring-shaped channel, into which the second wall immerses, in order to achieve the siphon effect.

The siphon effect can also be realized in that the second wall is an outer wall of a beaker, into which the first wall immerses. Therefore, assembly of the siphon does not depend on which of the two connecting pieces is positioned above and which is positioned below; if the axis lies sufficiently close to the vertical, the efficiency of the siphon is ensured in both orientations. This in turn facilitates the installation of the siphon.

In order to be effective, the siphon must constantly contain a sufficient quantity of liquid. If the siphon in a refrigeration appliance, as described in the introduction, functions as pressure equalization between an interior and the environment, the liquid supply to the siphon can be regularly supplemented by condensate from an evaporator and should therefore only be so large that it is possible to prevent a drying out between two defrost phases of the evaporator. To ensure that this requirement is fulfilled in each installation orientation, the storage capacity of the beaker is to lie between 0.5 times and 2 times, preferably between 0.8 times and 1.25 times the storage capacity of the channel.

Conversely, the possibility of installing the siphon optionally in two orientations can be used in order to implement different liquid volumes with a same model of siphon for different models of refrigeration appliances or to adjust to climate zones with a high and low evaporation. For this purpose, the storage capacity of the beaker and channel should differ clearly e.g. by a factor of at least 1.25, preferably at least 1.5.

In order to be able to assemble a tube or pipe rapidly and simply on the siphon, at least one of the connecting pieces can comprise an inner and an outer pipe section, which are concentric to one another. A ring-shaped intermediate space between the pipe sections can then receive the tube or the pipe.

The connection between the tube or pipe and the pipe sections is not always hermetically tight. In order still to reliably prevent inflowing water, in particular condensate, from escaping, a distal edge of the outer pipe section should be further away from the sectional plane, in other words with an upwardly oriented connecting piece project further upward than a distal edge of the inner pipe section.

At least one of the components is preferably injection molded in one piece from plastic.

At least those surface regions of the siphon, which are constantly in contact with water during operation, can have a lotus effect surface structure in order to combat the adhesion of biofilm. One such surface structure can be realized cost-effectively by injection molding plastic.

The subject matter of the invention is also a household appliance, in particular a household refrigeration appliance, with a siphon as described above.

In order to simplify the positioning of the siphon in a thermal insulation layer of the refrigeration appliance, the siphon can have a fastening element for fastening to the inner container. The fastening element can be in particular a bayonet coupling for fixing in a hole of the inner container.

Further features and advantages of the invention result from the subsequent description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the appended figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic section through a refrigeration appliance with a siphon according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a first component of the siphon, cut along an axis of the component;

FIG. 3 shows a second component, likewise cut along an axis;

FIG. 4 shows the siphon in a first installation orientation;

FIG. 5 shows a section through the siphon along the plane V-V from FIG. 4

FIG. 6 shows the siphon in a second installation orientation;

FIG. 7 shows an exterior view of a first siphon with an integrated fastening element; and

FIG. 8 shows a second siphon with an integrated fastening element.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a section through a household appliance with a carcass 1 and a door 2, which enclose at least one interior 3. The interior 3 is typically separated from a thermal insulation layer 4 of the carcass 1 by an inner container 5 made from plastic. An evaporator 6 which cools the interior can be mounted between the inner container; in the case shown here, the interior is divided by an intermediate wall 7 into a storage compartment and a chamber which receives the evaporator 6.

A condensate collecting channel 8 is formed at the feet of the evaporator 6 in the inner container 5. A pipeline 9 extends from the condensate collecting channel 8 through the thermal insulation layer 4 into a machine compartment 10. There an evaporator tray 11 which collects the condensate is mounted on a condenser 12. A siphon 13 is introduced into the pipeline 9.

FIG. 2 shows a first component 14 of the siphon 13. The component 14 runs in rotational symmetry about an axis 15, which runs in the sectional plane in FIG. 2. Two pipe sections 17, 18 extend concentrically upward from a ring-shaped base plate 16, in order to form a first connecting piece 19 for the pipeline 9. The pipe sections 17, 18 are provided at their distal edges 20, 21 in each case with an insertion chamfer 22, in order to facilitate introduction of the pipeline 9 into the intermediate space 23. The distal edge 20 of the outer pipe section 17 projects further than the distal edge 21 of the inner pipe section 18, so that if draining condensate seeps between an interior of the pipeline 9 and the inner pipe section 18 into the intermediate space 23, it is not able to penetrate the surrounding thermal insulation layer.

An outer wall 24 and a first inner wall 25 extend downward from the outer or inner edge of the ring-shaped baseplate 16.

FIG. 3 shows a likewise rotationally symmetrical second component 26 of the siphon 16. An outer and an inner pipe section 17, 18 of a second connecting piece 27 extend downward from a ring-shaped flange 28 as a mirror-image with respect to the connecting piece 19. A circumferential recess 30 of a stepped cross-section with an end face 31 and a peripheral face 32 are formed on a topside of the flange 28. Supports 33 which extend upward from the flange 28 bear a beaker 34 with a base 35 and a circumferential second inner wall 36.

FIG. 4 shows the components 14, 26 in a configuration connected to one other along the axis 15 and ends of an inner and an outer section 44, 45 of the pipelines 9 which are to be inserted into the intermediate spaces 23 of the connecting pieces 19, 27, FIG. 5 shows a section through the siphon along a plane at right angles to axis 15 and referred to with V-V in FIG. 4.

A distal edge 37 of the outer wall 24 bears on the end face 31 and rests in a frictionally engaged manner against the peripheral surface 32. By the components 14, 16 being provisionally held together by the frictional connection, it is ensured that an adhesive applied along the recess 30 can reliably bind in a leak tight fashion. Alternatively, the components 14, 26 can also be connected by means of ultrasound or friction welding, in particular by means of rotational oscillation about the axis 15.

The first inner wall 25 immerses from above into the beaker 24 and subdivides its interior into a first cavity 38 surrounded by the first inner wall 25 and a ring-shaped second cavity 39 between the walls 25, 36. A likewise ring-shaped third cavity 40 extends between the second inner wall 36 and the outer wall 24.

When the evaporator 6 is defrosting, condensate passes through a free space 41 bound by the first connecting piece 19 into the beaker 34. As soon as it has filled the beaker 34 up to a distal edge 42 of the wall 36, surplus water leaves via the edge 42 and runs through the second cavity 39, passages 29 between the support 33 and a free space 43 of the connecting piece 27 into the outer section 45 and the evaporation tray.

In the representation in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top side of the flange 28 is flat and at right angles to the axis 15. To prevent overflowing water from standing for a long time at the contact surface between the components 14, 16 and seeping through a possibly untight point into the thermal insulation layer, particularly if the axis 15 is not mounted exactly vertically, the top side can descend steeply in a concave manner, i.e. from the border of the flange to the axis 15.

The siphon can be mounted in a position rotated about 180° with respect to the orientation shown in FIG. 4, i.e. in an orientation in which the positions of the connecting pieces 19, 27 are exchanged relative to FIG. 4. In this orientation shown in FIG. 5, draining water collects in an upwardly open channel 46 of the component 14, which extends annularly about the first cavity 38 and is subdivided by the second ring-shaped wall 36, which immerse from the top, into the second cavity 39 and the annular space 40. A seeping out of water along the contact surface between the components 14, 16 is ruled out here, in that the contact surfaces lies above the highest possible water level in the channel 46.

The diameter and heights of the ring-shape walls 25, 36 and the outer wall 24 can be attuned to one another so that the quantity of water stored between the distal edges 42 of wall 36 and 47 of wall 25, i.e. the quantity of water which is permitted to evaporate at most, before the siphon becomes untight, is the same in the orientations in FIGS. 4 and 5. The siphon can therefore be mounted without in the process having to consider its orientation. It is also conceivable, however, to plan quantities of water differently, particularly to make those in FIG. 5 larger than those in FIG. 4. The siphon in the orientation in FIG. 5, can then be installed e.g. in a refrigeration appliance with a larger storage compartment volume and correspondingly more significant air throughput during pressure equalization than in the orientation in FIG. 4, or with a similar model of refrigeration appliance the siphon can optionally be installed in the orientation in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, depending on whether the relevant device is provided for use in an environment with a high or low evaporation or with a rare or frequent defrost requirement.

In order to position the siphon 13 in the thermal insulation layer in a secure and reproducible manner and in particular to prevent an uncontrollable deflection of the pipeline 9 and the siphon 13 when the carcass is foamed, it is desirable to be able to rapidly and securely fix the siphon 13 when the refrigeration appliance is assembled. A preferred possibility for this, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, is to mold a bayonet coupling 48 to one of the components 14, 16, which is inserted into an opening cut into a wall of the inner container 5 during assembly and is locked therein in a form-fit manner by rotation about an axis 52 which is at right angles to the wall. Such a bayonet coupling 48 and the complementary opening are known per se to the person skilled in the art, e.g. from EP 3 109 579 B1, and are therefore not described in detail at this point. The bayonet coupling 48 has, in an assembled state surrounded by an apron 49 resting in a leak tight fashion against an exterior of the wall of the inner container 5, a short cylindrical section 50 and webs 51 projecting radially from the cylindrical section, which, in the assembled state rest against an interior of the inner container. In the embodiment shown here, two webs 51 are provided, which allow the siphon 13 to be assembled only with a vertically oriented axis 15 and with optionally upwardly or also downwardly facing connecting pieces 19. Assembly of the siphon 13 in a false orientation is therefore ruled out.

According to the embodiment in FIG. 6, the outer wall 24 and the bayonet coupling 48 are connected by way of two curved struts 53. The struts 53 are to a certain degree elastic in order to facilitate joining with the sections 44, 45 of the pipeline 9, but are at the same time sufficiently rigid to withstand a permanent deflection as a result of expanded foam when the carcass is foamed. Here the freedom of movement of the siphon 13 is essentially in the direction of axis 52.

Alternatively, an individual straight strut 54 can be provided between the siphon 13 and the bayonet coupling 48, as shown in FIG. 7. The cross-section of the strut 54 which is elongated in the direction of axis 15 allows the siphon mounted on the inner container 5 to move freely essentially only in a direction at right angles to the axes 15 and 52.

The struts 49 and the bayonet coupling 48 can be one-piece integral parts of the component 16.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

-   1 Carcass -   2 Door -   3 Interior -   4 Thermal insulation layer -   5 Inner container -   6 Evaporator -   7 Intermediate wall -   8 Condensate collecting channel -   9 Pipeline -   10 Machine compartment -   11 Evaporator tray -   12 Compressor -   13 Siphon -   14 First component -   15 Axis -   16 Base plate -   17 Pipe section -   18 Pipe section -   19 First connecting piece -   20 Distal edge -   21 Distal edge -   22 Insertion chamfer -   23 Intermediate space -   24 Outer wall -   25 First inner wall -   26 Second component -   27 Second connecting piece -   28 Flange -   29 Passage -   30 Recess -   31 End face -   32 Peripheral surface -   33 Apron -   34 Beaker -   35 Base -   36 Second inner wall -   37 Distal edge (of 24) -   38 First cavity -   39 Second cavity -   40 Third cavity -   41 Free space -   42 Distal edge -   43 Free space -   44 Inner section -   45 Outer section -   46 Channel -   47 Distal edge -   48 Bayonet coupling -   49 Apron -   50 Cylindrical section -   51 Web -   52 Axis -   53 Curved struts -   54 Straight struts 

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A siphon, comprising: a housing, containing: first and second connecting pieces each defining a free space, in which an axis of one of said first and second connecting pieces extending through said free space of another of said first and second connecting pieces and in a sectional plane between said first and second connecting pieces, said sectional plane crossing over the axis; a first cavity, adjoining said free space of said first connecting piece; a second cavity which on a first side of the sectional plane, said first side being directed towards said first connecting piece, being separated from said first cavity by a first wall and on a second side of the sectional plane, said second side being directed towards said second connecting piece, adjoins said first cavity; a third cavity, adjoining said free space of said second connecting piece and which, on the first side of the sectional plane, adjoins said second cavity and, on the second side of the sectional plane, is separated from said second cavity by a second wall; and a first and a second component, of which said first component contains said first connecting piece and one of said first and second walls, and said second component contains another of said first and second walls, said second component containing said second connecting piece.
 17. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein said first and second connecting pieces have identical cross-sections.
 18. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein said first and second connecting pieces are formed as a mirror-image with respect to one another.
 19. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein said housing has an outer wall which crosses over the sectional plane and surrounds a larger cross-section than said first and second connecting pieces.
 20. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein: said housing has an outer wall; and said outer wall, said first wall and said second wall are disposed in a circular and concentric manner with respect to one another.
 21. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein: said housing has an outer wall which crosses over the sectional plane and is an integral part of said first component; and said outer wall has a distal edge which attaches in a leak tight fashion to said second component.
 22. The siphon according to claim 21, wherein said second component has a flange which is oriented at right angles to the axis, at a border of which said distal edge is added.
 23. The siphon according to claim 22, wherein said border of said flange has a circumferential recess formed therein, and into said circumferential recess said distal edge engages.
 24. The siphon according to claim 20, wherein said first wall is surrounded concentrically by said second wall and is an integral part of said first component.
 25. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein in a first installation position, in which said first side is a top side and said second side is a bottom side of the sectional plane, said second wall is an outer wall of a beaker, into which said first wall immerses, that in a second installation position, in which said second side is a top side and said first side is a bottom side of the sectional plane, said first wall is an inner wall of a ring-shaped channel, into which said second wall immerses, and that a storage capacity of said beaker lies between 0.5 times and 2 times a storage capacity of said ring-shaped channel, or that the storage capacity of said beaker differs from that of said ring-shaped channel by at least one factor 1.25.
 26. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein at least one of said first and second connecting pieces has an inner and an outer pipe section, which are concentric to one another.
 27. The siphon according to claim 26, wherein said outer pipe section has a distal edge which is further away from the sectional plane than a distal edge of said inner pipe section.
 28. The siphon according to claim 16, wherein at least one of said first and second components is injection molded in one piece from plastic.
 29. The siphon according to claim 21, wherein said distal edge of said outer wall is glued or welded to said second component.
 30. The siphon according to claim 25, wherein the storage capacity of said beaker lies between 0.8 times and 1.25 times the storage capacity of said ring-shaped channel, or that the storage capacity of said beaker differs from that of said ring-shaped channel by at least one factor 1.5.
 31. A household appliance, comprising: said siphon according to claim
 16. 32. The household appliance according to claim 31, further comprising an inner container, wherein said siphon has a fastening element for fastening to said inner container.
 33. The household appliance according to claim 32, wherein the household appliance is a household refrigeration appliance.
 34. The household appliance according to claim 32, wherein: said inner container has a hole formed therein; and said fastening element is a bayonet coupling for fixing in said hole of said inner container. 